Canal Dredging, St Helena's Ebsford

Assist in the maintenance dredging of a stretch of canal in Chesterfield.

BACKGROUND In February 2012, the consultants of Ebsford Environmental Ltd were contacted by Derbyshire Country Council to assist in the maintenance dredging of a stretch of canal in Chesterfield. The site had suffered from heavy silt build up due to the inability to open flood gates and the proximity to a tributary of the River Rother.

The project was highly sensitive and heavily trafficked by pedestrians. Site closures were not possible and access constraints and difficult terrain made the use of large machines impossible.

TREATMENT PLAN Ebsford Environmental specified a solution which saw the Truxor machine with a silt pump attachment used to remove the silt and pump directly into manufactured silt bags, which are low impact and ensure a greatly reduced drying time. This system allowed the towpaths to remain open for the whole two week operation and the amphibious nature of the machine ensured compliance with recommendations received regarding the water vole population.

SUMMARY The project was completed in 2 weeks and due to the reduced volumes, Ebsford were able to give a further cost reduction, completing works over £30,000 cheaper than original cost estimates